BADBADNOTGOOD | Photo courtesy of the band | https://www.facebook.com/pages/BadBadNotGood/215708555125814

Here’s a sample of what’s coming up Monday night at 8pm on our New Music Show:

“Time Moves Slow” by BADBADNOTGOOD feat. Sam Herring

The Canadian instrumental outfit BADBADNOTGOOD bring worlds together with their music. Trained in jazz, these guys have a history of bringing their wonderful technical skills to all sorts of different musical spectrums, most notably hip-hop and electronica. On their new album, IV, they welcome Future Islands frontman Sam Herring to lend them a hand (or voice) and the result is quite good.

“OBLIVIUS” by The Strokes

They’re back! The Strokes return with a funky guitar driven jam called “OBLIVIUS” from a new EP titled, Future Present Past. The new song is powered by riffs that bring to mind Television-esque dexterity and a nostalgia as only the Strokes can tap into. Enjoy…

First Impression Artist: MUTUAL BENEFIT

MUTUAL BENEFIT at its core is singer-songwriter Jordan Lee. But at any given time, depending on who he’s writing, recording or touring with that can change. It’s more of an evolving project than a set band. The new Mutual Benefit album, and first for the Mom + Pop label, is called Skip A Sinking Stone. It’s a beautifully recorded and produced collective of dreamy tunes. We’ll listen together tonight for our First Impression.

Each week we update our XPN Best New Music Spotify playlist for you to enjoy whatever you missed on the show recently too! Take a listen:

The Toronto jazz trio BADBADNOTGOOD have a history of creating some incredible remixes, typically in the world of hip-hop, remixing Black Milk’s “Now Or Never,” Ghostface Killah and Danny Brown’s “Six Degrees,” and Freddie Gibbs and Madlib’s “Shame.” Recently they took to re-imagining one of 2014’s best songs, “Seasons (Waiting on You)” by Future Islands. Continue reading →

BADBADNOTGOOD | Photo courtesy of the band | https://www.facebook.com/pages/BadBadNotGood/215708555125814

Hip-hop influenced jazz trio BADBADNOTGOOD were recently on World Cafe for an interview and performance of songs from their new album, III. In June, before the band were in town to play a show at Milkboy, The Key’s Shaun Brady did an interview. Continue reading →

Canadian jazz trio Badbadnotgood return to play at MilkBoy tonight. Their innovative approach to jazz incorporates elements of hip-hop, EDM and punk. Over the years, the band has released covers of various artists including Kanye West, James Blake and My Bloody Valentine. The band released their third album, aptly titled III in May. They also collaborated with Ghostface Killah and Danny Brown on the track “Six Degrees.” Listen to their cover of James Blake’s “Limit to Your Love” below, read their interview with The Key’s Shaun Brady here and get more information about the show at the XPN Concert Calender.

Standards have always been a way for jazz artists to come together on common ground and find a collective sound. For generations, musicians have joined together in jam sessions and played “Autumn Leaves” or “My Funny Valentine” or “Caravan,” putting their own unique, modern spin on these timeless classics.

Toronto trio BADBADNOTGOOD found their sound with a much more contemporary standard – Gucci Mane’s “Lemonade.” The three members met while students in the jazz program at Toronto’s Humber College, but it was their shared love of hip-hop that brought them together as a group. “Being at jazz school, a lot of people were just into jazz because that’s obviously what they’re studying, but we bonded because we had a lot of other common interests,” says keyboardist Matthew Tavares.

Those interests have now resulted in three albums and a burgeoning career as producers with some of the very hip-hop artists whose work they admired, including collaborations with Odd Future members Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler the Creator, and Frank Ocean. Their latest CD, III (Innovative Leisure), is their first composed wholly of their own original music, foregoing the hip-hop and rock covers that distinguished their previous releases. They’ll perform some of that music – and reprise a few of those trademark covers – at MilkBoy on Saturday night.

So is BBNG a jazz trio with hip-hop leanings? A hip-hop crew with jazz roots? According to bassist Chester Hansen, “It’s a difficult question. I don’t know if we could accurately say that it’s one thing or the other. I think it’s really just a combination of all of our influences; jazz and hip-hop are definitely in there in great amounts, but it’s open to interpretation.”

“I wouldn’t really call it jazz because a lot of the songs don’t some of the elements that people consider to be jazz,” adds Tavares. “Other songs do, but maybe they’re missing other elements. It’s really a big mish-mash of stuff we like to listen to, the music we like to learn and approach and explore and be creative with.”

III definitely showcases the hybrid sound that the band has forged over the last several years. Continue reading →

BADBADNOTGOOD are a jazz trio from Toronto who met at Humber College’s music school in 2011. Since then, the band – Matthew Tavares on keyboards, Chester Hansen on bass, and Alex Sowinski on drums – have been bending the jazz music rule book, infusing the tradition with hip-hop, EDM, and punk influences. They’ve covered Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, James Blake and My Bloody Valentine. They were Frank Ocean’s backup band during Ocean’s 2012 appearance at Coachella, and they’ve collaborated with Earl Sweatshirt and Danny Brown. BBNG has self-released several live albums and are releasing their new studio album, III, on May 6th on Innovative Leisure. BBNG play Milkboy Philly on Saturday, June 14th. Go here for tickets and more information about the show. Below, listen to their cover of Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights” and a new song, the spectral, beat laden “Can’t Leave The Night.”

Photo: LA Times BADBADNOTGOOD are a jazz trio from Canada who are redefining modern jazz by informing their music with hip-hop and rock. The band just released their second studio, and along with two live albums and a single offer all their music for free. Last weekend at Coachella they were the backing band for Frank Ocean (watch it here). The band includes bassist Chester Hansen, pianist Matt Tavares, and drummer Alex Sowinski. Their new album includes a mix of cover songs and originals and the album was recorded with additional instrumentation including electric guitar and saxophone. Below, listen to their cover of James Blake’s “Limit To Your Love.” Go here to download their new music including their new album BBNG2.

About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH

Support The Key

What do you think?

Did you find what you were looking for? Was this page helpful?
Let us know

About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH